A pion, also known as a pi meson, is a subatomic particle that belongs to the family of mesons. It is made up of a quark and an antiquark, specifically an up quark and an anti-down quark.
The strong force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, along with gravity, electromagnetism, and weak nuclear force. It is responsible for holding together particles that make up the nucleus of an atom, such as protons and neutrons.
The strong force is carried by particles called gluons, which bind quarks together to form larger particles. This force is very powerful, but it has a limited range, only operating within the nucleus of an atom.
Pions are considered to be the carriers of the strong force between nucleons (protons and neutrons) in the nucleus. They are responsible for mediating the strong force, binding the nucleons together to form a stable nucleus.
Pions are able to carry the strong force between nucleons because they have a short range. This means that they are able to interact with the nucleons in close proximity, but not over long distances. This contributes to the overall stability of the nucleus, as the strong force keeps the nucleons bound together.